USA > Nebraska > Dodge County > History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska, and their people, Volume I > Part 46
USA > Nebraska > Washington County > History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska, and their people, Volume I > Part 46
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
"Cuming City was claimed by P. G. Cooper and 'two others' in September, 1854, but no settlement was effected until the next spring, when a site was mapped and surveyed, and named in honor of the then acting governor, Cuming. Cuming City, like many another western town, aimed high, but has failed to reach the coveted elevation. A ferry charter was granted P. G. Cooper in January, 1856, and in the same month the legislature incorporated 'Washington College,' and located it at Cuming City, at the same time appointing a board of eight trustees consisting of the following distinguished gentlemen : B. R. Folsom, James C. Mitchell, T. B. Cuming, Mark W. Izzard, P. G. Cooper, William B. Hall, John C. Campbell, and J. B. Radford.
"In 1856 the Nebraska Pioneer was started, under the editorial man- agement of a Mr. Dimmick, and in 1858 the Cuming City Star was started, and flourished for a while, conducted by L. M. Kline.
412
413
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
"Cuming City was frequently represented in the Territorial Legisla- ture. In 1856, James S. Stewart, who was one of the earliest settlers, was chosen Representative. In 1857 Mr. Stewart was re-elected with P. G. Cooper, also of Cuming City, as colleague. In 1858 Mr. Cooper was re-elected, with L. M. Kline."
This was about as near a "paper town" as one could conceive of, its plat having been a part of a farm ever since the oldest settler can well remember its name and location.
Bell, in his Centennial History of this county speaks of Cuming as follows: Flattered and encouraged with the patronage of territorial officials, Cuming City soon became a place of importance and great future prospects. The inevitable ferry charter was granted to P. G. Cooper in January, 1856, by the Legislature, and the same months "Washington College" was incorporated and located at Cuming City, and the same act appointed a board of trustees consisting of such famous characters as B. R. Folsom, James Mitchell, T. B. Cuming, Mark W. Izzard, P. G. Cooper, William B. Hall, John C. Campbell and J. B. Radford.
In 1857 there were in Cuming City fifty-three dwelling houses, three stores, three hotels, besides several boarding houses and a number of saloons. At the annual election that year Cuming City was again hon- ored by the selection of two of its prominent citizens as representatives : James S. Stewart was re-elected with P. G. Cooper of Cuming City, and Alonzo Perkins, of De Soto as colleagues.
The first fourth of July celebration in the county was held at Cuming City on North Creek in 1860. Judge John S. Bowen was orator of the day.
Among the first settlers in Cuming City were: Jacob Pate, Lorenzo Pate, J. Zimmerman, J. Goll, E. Pilcher, P. G. Cooper, J. S. Stewart, L. M. Kline, T. C. Hungate, O. W. Thomas, George A. Brigham, A. Mer- rick, L. R. Fletcher, Giles Mead, J. C. Lippincott, J. Boice and J. Johnson.
CHAPTER XIX
DE SOTO TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARY-STREAMS-RAILWAY LINE-POPULATION-EARLY HISTORY
OF THE TOWNSHIP AND DE SOTO VILLAGE-FIRST EVENTS-ONCE SETTLED BY FLEEING MORMONS-MILLS-NEWSPAPERS-INCORPORA- TION-PIKE'S PEAK BOOM-FIRST CHURCH SERVICES-LIST OF EARLY PIONEERS.
De Soto Township is situated on the eastern line of Washington County, with the Missouri River at the east, Fort Calhoun Township at the south, Blair Township at the west and Blair Township and the Mis- souri River at the north.
Its streams are the many small creeks including Long Creek, but there are no large streams, the Missouri River washes its northern and eastern shores, and thus originally there was much swampy bottom land, much of which has long since been reclaimed, however.
The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway runs diagonally from the southeast to the northwest parts of the township, with a station at the old Village of De Soto in section 27.
The population of De Soto Township, including the village has been at various times as follows: The village itself had in 1857 about 650; in 1890 the township and village had 277 population ; in 1900 it was 370, and in 1910 was placed at only 313.
DE SOTO VILLAGE i
De Soto is situated about four miles southeast of Blair, on the Mis- souri bottoms, and is a station on the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (now controlled by the Northwestern system). It was platted in the autumn of 1854, by Dr. John Glover, Gen. J. B. Robinson, Potter C. Sullivan, E. P. Stout, William Clancy and a few others. No settlement was really effected until the following spring. It was incor- porated as a town March 7, 1855, and during that season thirty hewed log houses were built there.
The first store was built by Dr. A. Phinney ; the first postmaster was Potter C. Sullivan; the earliest mercantile firm was styled Kennard Brothers, established in 1856. One of the pioneers of the place was Judge Jesse T. Davis, who later moved to Blair.
Three banks were established at De Soto-the Bank of De Soto, the Waubeek Bank and the Corn Exchange Bank. The first soon winked out : the other two were never old enough to be called adults.
For many years De Soto continued to be a lively place-was Wash- ington County's seat of justice at one time-held it eight years, when Fort Calhoun recovered her lost prize again.
The population of De Soto in 1857 was about 650. A dozen saloons and as many stores flourished there for a number of years, but fate decided against the place and in 1881 there were not in excess of twenty people residing there. The Pike's Peak gold excitement in 1859-60, the building up of Blair and loss of county seat all tended to ruin the place.
414
415
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
It was just below De Soto where the fleeing Mormons from Nauvoo, Illinois. settled in goodly numbers and remained several years. The early "Gentile" settlers found many brickbats from brick kilns burned by this Mormon colony. Brigham Young had a cabin on the ground where later stood the roller flouring mills, of De Soto. This mill was removed to Blair in 1876.
Among the newspapers published from time to time in De Soto, may be recalled by old-timers such papers as the Pilot, established in 1857 by Isaac Parrish; the Washington County Sun, established in 1858, by P. C. Sullivan; and the same year was issued the De Soto Enquirer, by Z. Jackson.
In 1883 the old site of once prosperous De Soto was being occupied solely by three families of farmers. Today it is only a small flag sta- tion on the "Omaha" line between Fort Calhoun and Blair.
Bell in his Centennial History of Washington County, usually con- sidered quite accurate, states the following concerning De Soto :
The town of De Soto was incorporated by an act of the Legislature in March, 1855, having been laid out in the fall of the year previous by Dr. John Glover, Gen. J. B. Robinson, Potter C. Sullivan, E. P. Stout, William Clancy, and others. Judge Jesse T. Davis locating there in the fall of 1855. In March, 1855, a charter was granted E. P. Stout to run a ferry-boat across the Missouri River. Again in January, 1856, a charter was granted to William Clancy and P. C. Sullivan to establish and run a steam ferry and city bonds were voted to the amount of $30,000 to aid the enterprise. P. C. Sullivan was dispatched to the East to dispose of the bonds and procure a steam ferry boat. This project failing to pan out successfully the steam ferry enterprise was abandoned with the charter and subsequently in May, 1857, a flat-boat ferry was established by Isaac Parrish.
During the summer of 1855, thirty hewn log houses were built in the town and business prospects were encouraging. Dr. A. Phinney was the proprietor of the first store and Charles Seltz, who came down the river in a skiff from the mountains and stopped at De Soto in the fall of 1855 was probably the second merchant to locate in the town. Harrison Critz and Z. Jackson each established a boarding house that year and P. C. Sullivan was appointed postmaster.
In 1856 Levi and Marsh Kennard, both later residents of Omaha, established themselves in the mercantile business at De Soto under the firm name of Kennard Bros.
In 1857 a Mr. Fake from Chicago brought a heavy stock of liquors to De Soto. Samuel Francis established a hotel and the Bank of De Soto entered upon a career of brilliant but rather short lived pros- perity with Samuel Hall as president and George E. Scott, cashier. In the same year the Waubeek Bank was started with H. H. Hine as president and A. Castetter, teller, the latter doing all the business and in the following spring the Corn Exchange Bank was established by a Chicago firm with I. Tucker as teller.
Town property increased in price at a rapid rate and the old settlers used to point with pride to the fact that a Mrs. Johnson refused $1,500 in gold for a certain corner lot. In 1857 the place had ten or more saloons and nearly as many stores and a population of about seven hundred. Prosperity attended the settlers till the Pike's Peak and Cherry Creek gold excitement in the fall of 1857 when a majority of the men abandoned the town and journeyed to the newly discovered gold fields.
416
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
The first minister who ever preached regularly at De Soto was Rev. Jacob Adriance of the Methodist Church. This was in 1857, services being held in a building belonging to W. W. Wyman, then of Omaha where he edited the Omaha Times and was later postmaster of that city. He was father of the present (U. S.) Treasurer.
EARLY PIONEERS AT DE SOTO
Judge Jesse P. Davis and family.
A. Phinney.
Harrison Critz and family.
Henry Way.
Hugh McNeely and family.
William Clancy.
George McKinney and family.
Jerry Sullivan.
Samuel Lewis.
Charles Seltz.
Z. Jackson.
Roger T. Beall. Grennell.
Potter C. Sullivan and family.
Ephriam Sullivan and family.
George E. Scott and family.
Davis McDonald and family.
Samuel Francis and family.
Porter S. Walker.
A. E. Allen.
Stephen Cass and family.
Frank Goodwill and family.
James E. Smith and family.
H. Knapp and family.
George W. Martin and family.
Charles Powell and family.
Z. S. Martin and family.
A. Castetter and family.
Jeremiah Barnhart.
J. W. Damen.
Michael Tobey.
Thomas R. Wilson.
T. M. Carter.
Solomon Himeline.
Leroy and Lewis Tucker with their families.
Dr. Cutts and family.
Con Orem.
George Oberst.
I. Tucker.
Louis Bouvier and family.
M. B. Wilson.
David Stout.
Alex Carter, Jr.
George Mckenzie and family.
Elisha P. Stout.
J. P. Ames.
Edward and Edwin Hayes. J. Bliss.
Doctor Glover and family.
Ferdinand Bujeon and family.
Jacob Hill.
John Carrigan and family.
J. T. McGiddagan.
Constance Cachelin and family.
W. H. B. Stout. Joseph Buga and family.
CHAPTER XX ARLINGTON TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARY-POPULATION-TOWNS AND VILLAGE-A FARMING SECTION-
MARKET FACILITIES-SURROUNDED BY A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY AND A LARGE CITY TO TRADE AT-CITY OF ARLINGTON-BOWEN HAMLET- THE MARSHALL NURSERIES-RAILROAD LINES.
This subdivision of Washington County is in the extreme south- western portion of the county. It is bounded on the west by Dodge County, on the north by Fontanelle and Lincoln Townships, on the east by Richland Township and on the south by Douglas County.
Two branches of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway system now pass through this township with stations at Arlington and Bowen. The western boundary line of the township is made by the meanderings of the crooked Elkhorn River.
The population of this township for three decades has been: In 1890 it was 1,167; in 1900 it was 1,378, and in 1910 the Federal census gave the township and Village of Arlington as having a population of 1,380.
This is a splendid farming region and the fields yield their annual crops of wheat, corn and grasses to the enrichment of the farm owners.
The railway facilities are excellent and the great city of Omaha within an hour or two ride by steam cars or automobile. The enter- prising City of Arlington of which later account will be had, affords a most satisfactory marketing point for all ordinary merchandise. This township is also the home of the celebrated Marshall Brothers Nursery -see account of it within this chapter also.
VILLAGE OF ARLINGTON
Arlington is situated in the extreme southwestern corner of Wash- ington County in sections 12 and 13, of Congressional township 17, range 9. It was platted by Sioux City & Pacific Railway Company in 1869; the company purchased 440 acres for townsite purposes.
It is on the Elkhorn River and is a station on the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad (now a part of the great Chicago & North- western Railroad system). Arlington is a junction point, one branch running to Missouri Valley, Iowa, and the other to Omaha, while the main line runs to Fremont and on to the northwest. It has a popula- tion of about eight hundred and is an incorporated village, of which the present postmaster, J. C. Badger is village clerk. It is beautifully situated on high charming uplands, with a rural landscape seldom found anywhere. Its schools, churches, lodges and banks are mentioned in special chapters in this work, covering those of the entire county, hence need not further be referred to in this connection.
Arlington was first known as Bell Creek and continued as such until early in 1882 when the name of the postoffice and village was changed to its present name.
The first improvement on the town plat was effected the same year the railway went through the place, and the depot was erected. Sam-
417
418
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
uel A. Frances, one of the early settlers of Fontanelle and John Waynick of Chariton, Iowa, built two residences and opened a lumber yard. A grain warehouse was built by L. H. Jones; a blacksmith shop by John Butler; and E. K. Gilbert opened a shoe shop in 1872.
Mrs. Kate Parker taught the first school. A fine school building was erected in the fall of 1876, at a cost of $5,000, and in 1877 a Methodist Episcopal Church was built.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY
The Village of Arlington was incorporated April 10, 1882, and the first village officers were: John A. Unthank, chairman; W. J. Crane, clerk; the trustees were: J. A. Unthank, B. Conway, J. C. Blackburn, William D. Badger, N. Foster.
FEE
EE
EEE
(By Courtesy of Blair Tribune)
HIGH SCHOOL. ARLINGTON
The following have served the village as chairmen of the board to the present date: John A. Unthank, William D. Badger, L. C. Weber, Peter Hammang, W. H. Whitney, A. B. Batson, H. W. Schoettger, J. C. Blackburn, Fred Echtenkamp, S. G. Glover, J. C. Badger, W. A. Reckmeyer, O. S. Roberts, H. C. Rurup, C. G. Marshall, P. L. Cady.
The present (1920) officers of the village are: P. L. Cady, chair- man ; J. C. Badger, clerk ; G. I. Pfeiffer, treasurer ; F. Wolf, street com- missioner, marshal, and water commissioner.
The village has an indebtedness of $12,500 in outstanding bonds.
The water works cost the taxpayers of the village quite an amount, but already the persons who opposed the original proposition are con- vinced it was but the part of good business judgment to issue such bonds. The water plant was installed in 1906.
There are two wells-one 30 feet and one 214 feet, from which most excellent water is obtained and in endless quantity. The water is pumped by means of gas and oil engines.
The village is lighted by the Platte Valley Power Company, a private institution.
419
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
The old frame school building is the property of the village and it stands in the park and is used as a Town Hall.
EARLY FACTORS OF THE PLACE
A newspaper account of Bell Creek (now Arlington) in 1876 said: "In 1875 the Masons organized a lodge, Bender & Chapman having dissolved, Mr. Chapman starting in business for himself in the same line. W. J. Crane resigned his position of station agent, closed out a stock of goods bought of Mr. Chapman, in the following spring, and went into general insurance business, real estate and collections. A public school building was contracted for that year to cost $5,000. Doctor Elwood, a physician, commenced his practice in Bell Creek that year as a partner of Doctor Glover."
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS-1920
In the summer of 1920 the business and professional interests of Arlington consisted of the following :
Auto garages-Walter Echtenkamp, Fred Menking, and others in the same line.
Banking-The First National and Arlington State Bank.
Bakery-Chris Legband.
Barbers-Messrs. Dickson and Melvord.
Drugs-D. C. Weber, Leo Snyder.
Elevator-Nye, Schneider, Fowler Co., Farmers' Co-operative Co., and O. C. Roberts.
Brickyard-Utterback Bros.
Furniture-Reckmeyer Co.
Hotel-Ed Ludwig.
Hardware-John Jackerot and the Reckmeyer Hardware Co. Harness-J. R. Grimes.
Ice dealer -. Schmehl Brothers.
Lumber-Farmers Grain & Lumber Co.
Livery-L. C. Gaines. Meats-E. S. Newell.
Opera House-Connected with the Odd Fellows Building.
Stock Dealers-J. Newcomb and Mr. Newell.
Variety Store-Mrs. Vail.
Implements-J. C. Blackburn, C. W. Breuing.
General Merchandise-Fred Weber, P. Z. Wilson.
Nursery-Marshall Brothers.
Stock Remedy Manufacturing Company-E. O. Burroughs, prop. Repair and Machine Shop-W. G. Pfeiffer.
Newspaper-The Review-Herald.
Veterinary Surgeon-Doctor Cady.
Physicians-Davies & Newcomb-firm.
Dentist-Dr. L. M. Peterson.
The schoolhouse is a large two-story brick building, but to it must soon be added one as large in order to accommodate the pupils.
The beautiful village park contains a large city block of land and the same has its shade trees and drinking fountain, as well as the Town Hall which was made out of the old school building. It is a frame structure.
CATALPA SPECIOSA SEEDLINGS
GRAPES COMING 2 YEARS
YOUNG PRACH THRES
ARLINGTON NURSERIES
MARSHALL
BROTHERS
COMBINE
NICE
ARLINGTON NEBRASKA.
*6
APPLE BLOCK
PEACHES
BLOCK "
THREE YEAR APPLE
ARLINGTON NURSERIES
BLACK LOCUST SEEDLINGS
421
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
MARSHALL'S NURSERIES
The Arlington Nurseries were started the spring of 1887 by Chester C. Marshall, and George A. Marshall, the first planting being done on their farm two miles east of Arlington. These boys came from Ohio a few years earlier, and the open prairies of Washington County and eastern Nebraska impressed them as a great field for the sale of nursery products. The wide variation in native forest trees and wild fruits growing along the streams, as well as the generous numbers of kinds and varieties of trees, fruits, and plants set by early settlers, indicated that eastern Nebraska was adapted to horticulture in its several branches.
To supply hardy trees and plants to Washington County home owners and those of adjoining counties was the aim of the originators. They organized on the partnership plan under the name of "Marshall Brothers." The business grew steadily from the beginning and within a few years the demand was such that the local part of the business no longer pre- dominated, but goods were shipped to all nearby counties, the territory reaching out further from year to year until at the present time this company enjoys a large trade not only in practically every part of Nebraska, but in many of the west central states.
In 1890 H. W. Marshall was added to the firm and in 1907 a fourth brother, A. C. Marshall also joined the partnership. In 1916 the busi- ness was incorporated, and is now operating under the corporate name of "Marshall's Nurseries," the Marshall family retaining the larger part of the stock and the general management. The present officers are G. A. Marshall, president; C. C. Marshall, vice president; C. G. Marshall, secretary ; H. W. Marshall, treasurer.
Twelve to fifteen trained nurserymen are employed throughout the year, and fifteen to thirty-five additional men are needed during the dig- ging and shipping periods in fall and spring. About fifty salesmen are employed in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois.
The natural development of Nebraska and the central west, and the building of thousands of comfortable and modern homes, has created a demand for much ornamental stock, and the company seeing the need of a landscape department, whereby the home owner could have scientific advice and aid in the planning of his home grounds, have instituted same, with C. W. Andrews as head architect. While this department is comparatively new, still the demand along this line is such that from 20 to 30 per cent of the entire business is handled through this channel.
A block of land is always retained strictly for experimental pur- poses, where new promising varieties are thoroughly tested out before being offered to the customers.
The elevation and soil at Arlington seem particularly adapted to the propagation and growing of nursery stock, the soil being of the loose type, which produces heavy fibrous root systems, and solid, well- ripened top growth, which means success in transplanting and renders the stock grown here an advertisement in itself.
CHAPTER XXI HERMAN TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARIES-STREAMS-LAKES-RAILWAY LINE-BIG DRAINAGE DITCH -POPULATION-HUDSON-THE "PAPER TOWN"-VILLAGE OF HER- MAN-HAMLET OF FLETCHER.
Herman is a "T" shaped township in Washington County. It is bounded on its north by Burt County, on the east by the Missouri River and part way by Cuming City Township, on the south by Cuming City and Grant townships, on the west by Grant and Sheridan townships.
Its streams include New York Creek, Hill Creek, and numerous lesser water courses. Tysons Lake and another smaller lake are found in the eastern portion of the township. The Chicago, St. Paul, Min- neapolis & Omaha Railroad line runs through it from north to south, with an enterprising station point at the Town of Herman of which see history in this chapter. One of the county's largest drainage ditches -- the Cameron-runs through Herman Township, taking about the same course as the railway right-of-way does, between Herman and to a point east of Blair.
Fletcher is an inland village in section 32.
POPULATION
The United States census gives Herman Township in 1890 as having a population of 827 ; in 1900 it was placed at 996, and in 1910 it had fallen to 978, including the Village of Herman which at that date was 345.
There was not much settlement in this part of the country until the building of the "Omaha" railway running from Sioux City to Omaha, after which immigrants flocked in at a lively rate.
HUDSON-THE FAMOUS "PAPER TOWN"
A "town" better advertised and more generally known in the Eastern States than here in Washington County, was known as "Hudson." It was supposed to be situated in the extreme northeastern part of this county, on the Missouri River and just on the Iowa side opposite was a town platted as "Melrose," both of which were great early day schemes for taking money from lot owners in the far off eastern country. Con- cerning this town of Hudson, Bell in his Centennial history of this county has the following :
"There are a great many residents of Washington County who never knew-and probably would have gone down to the silent tomb without the knowledge, but for this veracious chronicle of the past-that in 1856 a very enterprising citizen of Connecticut, one W: E. Walker, was the sole owner and proprietor of a town site in a swamp in the extreme north- east corner of this county, which he christened Hudson. More than this : he platted another townsite in a like eligible locality immediately oppo- site on the Iowa side of the Missouri, called it Melrose, published beauti- ful lithographs by the hundreds representing the two towns with busy steamers plying between them and endeavoring to supply transportation
422
423
DODGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES
for enormous traffic constantly carried on between the two towns. Armed with these, aided and abetted by a tongue remarkable for the oily rapidity with which it could be manipulated, Walker meandered up and down the Eastern states engaged in lecturing and at the close of each lecture would sell off lots in Hudson or Melrose at the rate of one dollar each with astonishing rapidity. A plat of Hudson can be seen at the county clerk's office and this plat shows that the town was comprised of 8,720 lots, consisting of fifty blocks, 2,000 feet long by 200 feet wide. The streets were from forty-five to sixty feet wide and there was not an alley in the town. The sale of lots in Hudson was so great for the first few years after its location that the county clerks accumulated con- siderable wealth by recording the deeds therefor at the rate of one dollar each. The deeds were printed, the name of Walker being also printed so when lots were sold all he had to do was to insert the name of the purchaser and the number of lots purchased. The deeds poured into the county clerk's office from all over the East and it is estimated that Walker made at least $5,000. To this day (1876) county officials are bothered with letters from eastern suckers inquiring as to present prices in Hudson and the writer was recently shown a batch of thirteen deeds which had been sent in one envelope from Chicago to be recorded."
This "paper city" has long since been drained out and used for farming purposes, such parts as have not been washed away by the uncertain waters of the Missouri River.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.